Back from East Coast

Kota Bharu: Entrance to the Cultural Centre

After 5 days on the road covering a distance of more than 1200km, I arrived home late last night. It was a very tiring trip visiting, preaching and teaching in several churches in Gua Musang, Kuala Krai, Kota Bharu, and Wakaf Bharu in the state of Kelantan, and Kuantan in the state of Pahang.

I will post some photos and updates on the trip in the next couple of days.

Review of Biblical Literature: May 7, 2008

The following new reviews have been added to the Review of Biblical Literature. There are a number of very interesting works on the NT being reviewed here:

Paul N. Anderson
The Fourth Gospel and the Quest for Jesus: Modern Foundations Reconsidered
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5879
Reviewed by John Painter

Malcolm Choat
Belief and Cult in Fourth-Century Papyri
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6169
Reviewed by David Frankfurter

Michael Thomas Davis and Brent A. Strawn, eds.
Qumran Studies: New Approaches, New Questions
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6114
Reviewed by Heinz-Josef Fabry

April D. DeConick
The Original Gospel of Thomas in Translation: With a Commentary and New English Translation of the Complete Gospel
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5655
Reviewed by Stephan Witetschek

Seenam Kim
The Coherence of the Collections in the Book of Proverbs
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6093
Reviewed by Johann Cook
Reviewed by Jutta Krispenz

Sarah Malena and David Miano, eds.
Milk and Honey: Essays on Ancient Israel and the Bible in Appreciation of the Judaic Studies Program at the University of California, San Diego
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5940
Reviewed by Wolfgang Zwickel

Mikael C. Parsons
Body and Character in Luke and Acts: The Subversion of Physiognomy in Early Christianity
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5830
Reviewed by Pieter J. J. Botha
Reviewed by Patrick E. Spencer

Todd Penner and Caroline Vander Stichele, eds.
Moving beyond New Testament Theology? Essays in Conversation with Heikki Räisänen
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5492
Reviewed by Jan van der Watt

Richard L. Rohrbaugh
The New Testament in Cross-Cultural Perspective
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5956
Reviewed by Stephan Joubert

C. Kavin Rowe
Early Narrative Christology: The Lord in the Gospel of Luke
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5966
Reviewed by Christopher Tuckett

David T. Runia and Gregory E. Sterling, eds.
The Studia Philonica Annual: Studies in Hellenistic Judaism, Volume XVIII
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5769
Reviewed by Archie T. Wright

Naomi Seidman
Faithful Renderings: Jewish-Christian Difference and the Politics of Translation
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5658
Reviewed by Cameron Boyd-Taylor

Brad H. Young
Meet the Rabbis: Rabbinic Thought and the Teachings of Jesus
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5912
Reviewed by Verlyn D. Verbrugge

Nordic Institute of Asian Studies: Scholarships Available

If you are working on an MA or PhD thesis this autumn and need some inspiration, literature or simply just time to write on your thesis, then NIAS has something to offer: SUPRA scholarships.

What does the scholarship include? The SUPRA scholarships covers travel to Copenhagen, TWO WEEKS board and accommodation plus a fully equipped working place at NIAS! A perfect chance to concentrate on your thesis, have inspirational talks with our researchers or collect material in Northern Europe's most comprehensive Asian studies library.

There are free slots available from August to December.

For more information, please click here.

No Male or Female: A Dialogue between Ben Witherington and Amy-Jill Levine

Duke Divinity School recently hosted a very interesting dialogue between Amy-Jill Levine and Ben Witherington on "No Male or Female? A Conversation on St Paul and Women."

Amy-Jill Levine is E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of New Testament Studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School. A self-described "Yankee Jewish feminist who teaches in a predominantly Protestant divinity school in the buckle of the Bible Belt," Levine combines historical-critical rigor, literary-critical sensitivity, and a frequent dash of humor with a commitment to eliminating anti-Jewish, sexist, and homophobic theologies.

Ben Witherington is Professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary – one of the top evangelical scholars in the world who has written over 30 books.

The audio of the event is now available at the Duke Socratic Club by clicking here.

Off to East Coast

From May 7-11, together with my colleages, Rev Dr Ezra Kok, Rev Dr Tan Jin Huat, and Rev Tee Heng Peng, we will be visiting several churches in the East Coast states of Kelantan and Pahang of Peninsular Malaysia. Beginning from Gua Musang, Kelantan, the East Coast Roadshow will take us to the cities of Kuala Krai, Kota Bharu, Wakaf Bharu, and Kuantan. We look forward to mutual encouragement with the churches and our alumni in the East Coast.

For details of our itinerary, please click here.

Fraser's Hill and Fitzmyer's Spiritual Exercises on Romans

Joseph Fitzmyer's Spiritual Exercises Based on Paul's Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2004) was one of my companions (apart from my close friend) during my just concluded personal solitude retreat at Fraser's Hill.

In this book, Joseph Fitzmyer demonstrates that Romans is a wellspring of devotional insight, accessible and deeply rewarding even to everyday readers. "While not overlooking the complex theology of Paul's letter, in this book Fitzmyer recasts the text of Romans into the form of meditations for devotional reflection in spiritual retreats, Bible studies, church classrooms, small groups, and other prayerful gatherings. Styled after the famous Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, the book includes twenty-four meditations that can be divided in a variety of ways and fit to a range of reading schedules. Each meditation is accompanied by a set of questions that encourages reflection on the passage of Romans being considered and also a colloquy in the form of a psalm or New Testament hymn that matches the sentiment of the Pauline passage. A truly unique approach to spirituality, this book shows the role of Scripture in properly ordering the Christian life."

I am not disappointed that I chose Fitzmyer's Spiritual Exercises to be my "spiritual" companion. I did the first 18 exercises covering Romans 1-8. It was deeply rewarding, spiritual enriching, and intellectual engaging, to say the least in doing these spiritual exercises.

These exercises helped me as a way of, in the words of Ignatius of Loyola, "preparing and disposing our soul to rid itself of all disordered affections and...of seeking and finding God's will in the ordering of our life for the salvation of our soul."

I think I am now better prepared and recharged to face the challenges and uncertainties ahead of me.

Back from Fraser's Hill

The town centre and the famous clock tower

It was a great, albeit very short, getaway at Fraser's Hill. With the company of a close friend, we had a good time catching up with each other, but not forgetting in giving ourselves plenty of personal time and space. I slept most of the time on Sunday and did not wake up until close to 11am the following day. I never knew that sleep can be so therapeutic for me.

I have always loved Fraser's Hill. It is quiet during the weekday, and the cool air is a real welcome from the heat in the city. We almost had the whole hill resort to ourselves when we arrived on Sunday afternoon. In fact, when we arrived at Pekan Bungalow, the caretaker was a bit surprised that we would choose our stay during the weekday. He asked us, "Why do you come up on Sunday instead of Friday?"

Well, the secret is that we wanted to be away from the crowd. And the reward for doing the trip on Sunday was that we had the entire bungalow to ourselves - we were the only guests occupying one of the 9 rooms available at the bungalow.

I had a great time - needless to say. I'll let the photos do the talking.....

The view of the dam on the way to Fraser's Hill

Pekan Bungalow

The almost deserted dining room

The view from my room, overlooking the golf course


Another view of the golf course from my room

New Issue: JSNT Vol 30 No 4 (June 2008)

Sage recently announced the publication of a new issue of the Journal for the Studies of New Testament Vol 30 No 4 (June 2008); Vol. 30. :

http://jnt.sagepub.com/content/vol30/issue4/?etoc

Check out the following articles:

Paul among the Philosophers: The Case of Sin in Romans 6--8

Emma Wasserman

Journal for the Study of the New Testament 2008;30 387-415

http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/30/4/387?etoc

Immortal Bodies, before Christ: Bodily Continuity in Ancient Greece and 1 Corinthians

Dag Oistein Endsjo

Journal for the Study of the New Testament 2008;30 417-436

http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/30/4/417?etoc

Confession of the Son of God in the Exordium of Hebrews

Scott D. Mackie

Journal for the Study of the New Testament 2008;30 437-453

http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/30/4/437?etoc

On Articulating Marginalization and Marginality

Jeremy Punt

Journal for the Study of the New Testament 2008;30 455-472

http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/30/4/455?etoc

Decentering Authority: The Postcolonial Challenge to Certainty

Erin Runions

Journal for the Study of the New Testament 2008;30 473-479

http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/30/4/473?etoc

The Sun Never Sets on `Marx'? (Marx) Colonizing Postcolonial Theory (Said/Spivak/Bhabha)?

Philip Chia

Journal for the Study of the New Testament 2008;30 481-488

http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/30/4/481?etoc

Postcolonial Biblical Criticism: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead

Fernando F. Segovia

Journal for the Study of the New Testament 2008;30 489-502

http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/30/4/489?etoc

Conference: St Paul's Journey into Philosophy

"What has Jerusalem to do with Athens?"

I know I am a bit late in announcing a conference on St Paul's Journey into Philosophy with Stephen E. Fowl, Paul J. Griffiths, J. Louis Martyn, P. Travis Kroeker, Douglas Harink, Chris K. Huebner, Mark Reasoner, Gordon Zerbe, Jens Zimmerman and others.

"Recently there has been a renewed interest in the writings of St. Paul by continental philosophers. This conference will explore aspects of that appropriation, in particular by Giorgio Agamben, Alain Badiou, Jacob Taubes and Slavoj Zizek, as well as their precursors, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Walter Benjamin, and others."

The conference will be held at the Vancouver School of Theology and at Carey Theological College on the beautiful campus of the University of British Columbia, overlooking English Bay and the city of Vancouver.

For further details on the conference, schedule, speakers, papers and plenaries, please visit the conference website by clicking here.

Solitude Retreat at Fraser's Hill

I will be hitting the road shortly. This time I am heading to Fraser's Hill for a personal solitude retreat. I badly needed this couple of days to rest and recharge for the months ahead, to reflect and reassess my ministry, and also to weigh carefully a couple of important decisions that I need to make that would have considerable bearings on my ministry.

I will be staying at the recently refurbished Pekan Bungalow that has a spectacular view over the golf course. The cool fresh air at the hill would be a great welcome for me, as we have been experiencing exceptionally hot weather for the past few days, with temperature soaring above 36 degrees.

After coming back from Fraser's, I will be hitting the road again. This time, together with three of my colleagues from seminary, we will be visiting some churches in the East Coast states of Kelantan and Pahang. More updates on this later.